Garment hanger



March 3, 1931. M. J. MURRAY 1,794,416

GARMENT HANGER -F'i1ed Sept. 17, 1929 Ma r2 J M1 wrong.

Patented Mar. 3, 1931 ST I E i? PTENT OFFEQE MARY J. MURRAY, OE WATERTOWN, MASSACHUSETTS GARMENT HANGER Application filed September 17, 1929. Serial No. 393,190.

This invention relates to improvements in garment hangers and particularly to a hanger capable of supporting a sleeveless-type garment in such a manner that it cannot be dis lodged from the hanger.

In clothing establishments and other places where garments are supported upon hangers, which are in turn suspended from racks, it is difficult to remove the hangers from the Q racks without dislodging the garments from the hangers, and in large clothing establishments a large amount of time is wasted in replacing and rearranging the garments upon the hangers. Furthermore, certain types of garments, such as, womens ensemble suits or dresses, which are constructed in two pieces, are supported one upon another upon the same hanger, and when it is desired to remove the under garment it is necessary to also remove the upper garment.

The object of this invention is to provide a hanger, particularly adapted to be utilized for supporting womens sleeveless dresses in such a manner that the hanger with a dress 5 thereon may be removed from a rack upon which clothing is very closely packed without danger of dislodging any of the garments from their hangers.

It is still further an object of the invention to provide a hanger upon which womens twopiece garments may be suspended in such a manner that either garment may be removed from the hanger without disturbing the other garment or causing the sameto be dislodged from the hanger.

The invention consists in a garment hanger as set forth in the following specification and particularly as pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a garment hanger embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the hanger. Fig. 3 is a side elevation illustrating a modified embodiment, of the invention.

Like numerals to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

' In the drawings, referring particularly to 1 and 2, 5 represents a hanger comprising a body member 6, preferably constructed be constructed of wood sawed from a board of suitable thickness, or if constructed of wood it may consist of several plies of veneer secured together in a well-known manner. I

The body member 6 embodies therein oppositely projecting bifurcated garment-supporting portions 7, each consisting of an upper arm 8 having an upper garment-supporting surface 9 and a lower-arm 10 having an upper garment-supporting surface 11. The arms 8 and 10 are so constructed that their outer-end portions maybe sprung slightly toward each other. The arms 8 and 10 are separated by spaces l2 which extend from the opposite ends of the hanger inwardly to a point 18, and the outer portion of each lower arm 10 is shouldered at 14;, thereby providing an obstruction which will act to pre vent the shoulder portions 15 of a sleevelesstype garment-which is resting upon the upper surfaces llof thelower arms 10, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, from sliding sidewise'upon said arms. The spaces 12 are, furthermore, closed to prevent a garment resting upon the lower arms 10 from entirely falling ofi of said arms by means of latches 16, which are pivotally mounted at 17 upon the end portion of each lower arm 10.

The latches 16 are preferably U shaped and are adapted to extend from the lower arm 10 upwardly around the end portion of the upper arm 8 in a. manner to close the entrance to the space 12. Each latch 16, furthermore, is so positioned with relation to the end portions of the arms 8 and 10 that it is necessary to spring the outer portions of i said arms toward each other in order that the latch may be swung downwardly to open the space, or upwardly to close the space, and when the latch is in its closed position the upper surface 9 of the upper'arm 8 will yield ingly engage the under surface of the latch and act to prevent the latter from opening accidentally.

In addition to the yielding engagement of the latch 16 with the upper surface 9 of the arm 8, a depression 16' may be provided in the latch and a notch 9 may be provided in the surface 9 of the arm 8, and when the latch 16 is located in its closed position the depression 16 will spring into a notch 9 5 and act to hold the latch firmly in its closed position.

It is evident that if it is so desired the latch 16 may be constructed of a material that is flexible or elastic in character, in

tlon to close the space 12 it must be stretched a suiiicient amount to clear the extremity of the upper arm 8 and upon being released it will yieldingly engage the upper surface 9 of said arm.

In opening this form of latch all that is necessary is to grasp the same and pull it over the extremity of the arm, the member stretching as it passes over said extremity.

A hook 18 is secured to the body member 6 in a well-known manner for the purpose of suspending the hanger.

Although the hanger of this invention is specially provided for the purpose of sup porting a sleeveless-type garment upon the lower arms 10, it is evident that a garment provided with sleeves may be supported upon these arms, provided that the latches 16 are allowed to hang loosely upon their pivots 17, and it is furthermore evident that either a sleeveless-type garment or a. garment with sleeves may be suspended in the usual wellknown manner upon the upper surface 9 of the upper arms 8.

It is also evident that the hanger of this invention may be used to advantage to sup port the two portions of womens ensemble suits and dresses, one of the portions being supported upon the lower arms 10 and the other portion being supported upon the upper arms 8, in which event either portion of the dress may be removed from the hanger without disturbing the other portion.

Furthermore, the coat portion of a mans suit may be support-ed upon the upper arms 8 and a vest may be supported upon the lower arms 10 and either the coat or'vest may be removed from the hanger separately without disturbing the other piece.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a modified embodiment of my invention in which 19 represents a hanger, the body portion 20 of which is constructed of a single piece of wire, the latter being bent to form oppositely project-- ing bifurcated garment-supporting portions 21, each consisting of an upper armv 22 and a lower arm 23 between which is a garmentreceiving space 24 in which the shoulder portions of a sleevelesstype garment may be inserted for the purpose of being supported upon the lower arms 23. Eyes 25 are formed at the outer extremities of the lower arms 23 by bending the wire in a well-known manner, and these eyes are utilized for the pur- 65 pose of pivotally attaching latches 26 to the which event, when it is moved intoa posi-- lower arms at the entrance to the slots 24. The latches 26 are formed of wire and are bent to approximate the shape of the latches 16 and are adapted to surround the outer portion of the upper arms 22 and have yielding engagement therewith in the same manner as are the latches 16, and when the latches 26 are located in a position to close the space 24 said latches will spring into the notches 22' that are provided in the upper arms 22. The end portions of the wire are twisted around each other at 27 and one end portion is bent to forma hook 28 for supporting the hanger.

The hanger illustrated in Fig. 3 is utilized in exactly the same manner as the hanger 30 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

I claim:

1. A garment hanger of the character de-- scribed comprising a body member having integral upper and lower garment-supports5 ing arms provided with garment-receiving spaces therebetween, and means to close an open end of each of said spaces.

2. A garment hanger of the character described comprising a body member having integral upper and lower garment-supporting arms provided with garment-receiving spaces therebetween, there being a shoulder provided upon the upper surface of each lower arm adjacent to the outer extremity 95 thereof to prevent a garment from sliding outwardly upon said arm, and means also to close an open end of each of said spaces".

3. A garment hanger of the character described comprising a body member having oppositely projecting resilient bifurcated garment-supporting portions, each provided with garment-receiving spaces therebetween, and a latch pivotally attached at the outer end of each of said garment-supporting portions and adapted to close an open, end of each of said spaces.

4. A garment hanger of the character described comprising a body member having integral upper and lower resilient garmentsupporting arms provided with garment receiving spaces therebetween, and means upon one of the arms at each end of the hanger to yieldingly engage the adjacent arm and close the open end of the intervening space.

5. A garment hanger of the character described, comprising a body member having upper and lower garment-supporting arms provided with garment-receiving spaces therebetweem-and a latch pivotallyattach'ed to one of the arms at each end of the hanger and adapted to extend over an edge of the adjacent arm and close the open end of the intervening space, one of said arms being adapted to be sprung toward the other arm to permit the latch to swing into position to close the space.

6. A garment hanger of the character described comprising a body member having upper and lower resilient, garment-support 130 ing arms provided With garment receiving spaces therebetween, one of the arms at each end of the hanger having a notch provided therein, and means upon the other arm at each end of the hanger to yieldingly engage the adjacent arm and spring into the notch therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I

MARY J. MURRAY. 

